115. Pre-Season -1
“Hm? What’s with all those boxes piled up? Jiu, did you order a delivery?”
“Huh? Me? Why would I have a package delivered here when I’m away from home?”
“Isn’t this your house?”
“Well, you’re not wrong, but I don’t think it’s mine?”
“Really? Let me see… Ah, looks like it’s Jian’s?”
A lazy afternoon. The house we returned to after having lunch in Viareggio.
Boxes were piled high in front of the front door, so Dad went to check, and apparently it was a delivery for me.
Hmm…? I didn’t order anything.
I approached, tilting my head, and checked… It said From. PUMA.
Looks like Puma sent something.
“What did they send that there’s so much of it? Let’s move them inside for now.”
“Ah, yes.”
I didn’t know what they were, but I helped Dad move the boxes into the house first.
Then I came in and opened a box, and what was inside was none other than football boots.
They were a design I’d never seen before.
The color was a white base with a black Puma logo embedded, and patterns made of gold lines.
And on the lower outer side of the ankle… they were boots with the letters “Jian Lee” embroidered.
Ah, these.
I suddenly recalled how Puma had measured the size and shape of my feet a few months ago.
They said they’d make boots just for my feet, and it seemed they were finished.
…Wow.
I knew about it, but actually seeing them in person like this left me dazed.
Boots made just for me.
I still didn’t know if this was a dream or reality.
“Hey, it says it’s a birthday gift! Wow, talk about sense.”
While I was examining the boots, Jiu, who had been rummaging inside the box, picked something up and spoke.
It was some kind of card; I received it from Jiu and read it, and a congratulatory birthday message was written there.
…Honestly, I’m surprised by myself in so many ways.
A guy who receives his own custom boots from Puma as a birthday gift.
I wonder if this is really me.
“Try them on!”
“…Yeah.”
I sat on the edge of the sofa and slipped my feet into the shoes.
Hm.
I don’t know if it was just my imagination, but the feeling of putting them on was different from the start. They slid right in as if they’d been oiled.
Once my feet were all the way in and I’d tied the laces, the snug feeling wrapping around my feet was like wearing socks rather than boots.
Normally, when you wear new boots, especially a different model, you feel a sense of unfamiliarity.
These had none of that at all.
They felt completely mine.
…Ah, they really are mine.
“How are they? Do they fit?”
“Yeah. They fit perfectly.”
When I answered Jiu’s question in the affirmative, Jiu nodded as if to say “I see,” then started opening the other boxes.
Inside the other boxes were several extra pairs of boots, and Puma products like training wear and such.
I don’t know why they sent so much.
“Wow, the class of this gift is insane…”
Once everything was taken out, it was quite a pile. Since Jiu couldn’t take his eyes off it, I chuckled and picked up a few articles of clothing, holding them out to Jiu.
“You wear these.”
“Hey, no way. It’s your gift; how could I wear it? I do have a conscience, you know?”
“…Since when?”
“Shit. You want to die?”
“It’s fine since I’m giving them to you after receiving them. You wear them. Dad, I think you could wear these when you play golf too.”
“…Tch, thanks.”
“Yeah. I’ll wear them well.”
Acting like he wasn’t going to take them when he was going to anyway.
“Hmm, I think it’s a bit big, though.”
“It fits me perfectly. Jian has grown to be as big as Dad already.”
I watched Jiu and Dad trying on the clothes right there and burst into a short laugh.
Dad was satisfied, saying the size fit him perfectly, and Jiu, wearing a windbreaker, tilted his head saying it seemed big, but to me it looked just right.
Wearing it a bit big had its own cute charm, anyway.
“…Why is there so much.”
Anyway, even after giving them each a hefty pile, there was still a lot left, so I was trying to organize it when…
…Jiu was somehow staring at the items sheepishly.
“What, do you need more?”
“…Huh? No, that’s not it.”
When I asked, tilting my head, Jiu shook his head and grinned.
“If you get birthday gifts to this extent, you won’t even remember mine later, man.”
At those words, I stared at Jiu with a blank face.
“…”
Last night, the exact moment I turned 17.
What Jiu, who had been rustling around alone, shouted “Surprise!” and held out was a cake.
On the cake that he said he’d made himself—who knows when he’d prepared it—was drawn a face that looked nothing like me no matter who looked at it.
Honestly, I’d only been pretending to sleep, not actually sleeping, so I did act surprised, but it wasn’t all an act.
Because it was the first time I’d received such a birthday gift.
To be honest, the bridge of my nose had stung a little.
Thinking about how he must have prepared it days in advance, brought it secretly, and squirmed alone in the dark room to give it to me right at midnight, something just…
Of course, I said things like, “Why did you go through the trouble preparing something like this?” But still, I couldn’t hold back a chuckle from escaping.
But to think he’d say I wouldn’t even remember his gift just because of something like this.
The reason I stared at Jiu was because it was absurd.
“Why wouldn’t I remember?”
“Well, it’s fine. It can’t even compare to some common cake. Must be nice, man.”
…What a stupid thing to say.
I was smiling, but looking at Jiu who couldn’t hide his dejection somewhere, I let out a sigh and…
Thwack—!
I flicked his forehead.
“Ah! Why’d you hit me!”
“Because you’re saying stupid things.”
“What stupid things…”
“It’s natural to think of cake first when it’s a birthday.”
I shook my head, scooped up the gifts strewn across the floor with both arms, and moved them to my room.
Hmm.
I think what’s important about a gift isn’t the gift itself, but who you receive it from.
Seeing as how I don’t even particularly like cake, yet I like Jiu’s gift so much more.
…Of course, this is a secret from Puma.
* * *
I thought summer had already arrived in full force, but the blazing sun felt as if it hadn’t even started yet.
Vacation always passes in the blink of an eye, so I had expected this summer break to fly by as well.
Still, time was passing too quickly.
Around the time I wondered why my face in the mirror had gotten so tan, we had the pre-season right before us.
The start of the 22-23 season was fast approaching.
“Wow, is it normal to be this nervous starting from pre-season?”
“It’s definitely different since we’re in the Champions League.”
“It’s different. I’m dying because of it, man. First time I’ve ever had to condition my body like this before a pre-season match.”
Right in the middle of training to prepare for the pre-season.
Today too, the seniors were busy complaining.
Everyone worked harder than anyone else, yet habitually grumbled aloud.
Since the pre-season is, after all, merely a preparation period for the main season.
Pre-season matches aren’t ones where results matter, yet everyone seemed somehow tense.
But there was good reason for it. Among the pre-season matches scheduled from next week until early August, there were some noticeably big names.
England’s Manchester United and Spain’s Barcelona were among them.
“But even if we’re in the Champions League, meeting both Man Utd and Barcelona is something else.”
“What, you’re talking like they’re doing us a favor by playing us. These are teams we’ll meet in the Champions League.”
“Still, it’s amazing. Who did we play last year? Leicester City?”
“Our stature has changed a lot. Well, thanks to the Champions League, but also because of our youngest.”
…Hmm.
Why was I being brought up all of a sudden?
My ears itching, I glanced over to see senior Bonaventura, who knew all sorts of gossip, speaking.
“They were both teams that tried to recruit our youngest. Manchester United and Barcelona, both.”
“These sneaky bastards. How dare they target him. We’ll never send our youngest away.”
“Who do you think you are, punk.”
He really is an interesting senior.
He takes such an interest in worldly affairs that he even knows things about me that I myself don’t.
Just the other day he’d said a new goalkeeper was coming, and sure enough, a new goalkeeper arrived last week, so he must have his sources.
Well, anyway.
Though it doesn’t relate directly to me, with the summer transfer window opening, a somewhat restless atmosphere hung over our training ground too.
Mostly new faces appeared at the training ground, but there were also days when I couldn’t see the face of a senior I’d been training with just yesterday.
So I had felt a bit down about that… but the seniors who left were an extreme minority, and there was more good news, like Romero, who had been on loan, completing a permanent transfer to our team, so I could take comfort in that.
The transfer window still felt to me like new class assignments at the start of a school year.
Rather than feeling like the pro world where massive sums of money change hands.
“Anyway, youngest.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t push yourself too hard during pre-season. Take care of your body. Got it? Those guys are going to be out for blood.”
Hm.
Strangely, senior Bonaventura says the exact same thing as the coach.
He’d said that during pre-season, playtime wouldn’t exceed 45 minutes, and they’d even limit the number of sprints.
Since the coach said so, I intend to try, but…
I’m not sure if I can actually do it.
* * *
—22-23 Pre-Season Kicks Off… The Heart Finally Breathes and Lives Again!
—Fiorentina Pre-Season Schedule Revealed… First Match Against Lazio, Followed by Manchester United on July 12, Barcelona on July 24
—Defending Champions AC Milan, Fans Outraged by Lackluster Recruitment… Meanwhile, Franck Kessié Heads to Barça on Free Transfer
—Paulo Dybala Leaves Juventus After 7 Years for AS Roma… To Play Alongside Mourinho
—Inter Completes Loan Signing of Romelu Lukaku Once Again
—Napoli, Sending Off Koulibaly, Signs Korean DF from Fenerbahçe
—Federico Chiesa’s Transfer from Fiorentina to Juventus Complete; Ángel Di María (PSG), Paul Pogba (Man Utd) Also Expected to Join… Who Will Fill the Void Left by Defensive Core Chiellini and de Ligt?
—Manchester City, Who Targeted Erling Haaland, Preparing Massive Offer for Fiorentina’s Jian Lee?
—Pre-Season Opener! Fiorentina 2:1 Lazio, Jian Lee Plays 33 Minutes with 1 Goal, 1 Assist. Carrying On Last Season’s Form
—Fiorentina Squad Departs Today (9th) for England Tour…
* * *
“Wow, the weather is killer.”
“How do people live in a place like this?”
“Let’s all be careful not to get depressed.”
I was looking up at the gloomy sky, and I found myself nodding at the seniors’ conversation.
After roughly a four-hour flight, my first impression of this city called Manchester… wasn’t very good.
Up until we departed from Florence, the sky had been so blue it was almost blinding.
Here, somehow it’s gloomy and dark, feeling like early evening even though it’s daytime.
It suddenly crossed my mind that if I had come to study abroad in a place like this instead of Italy, I might have gone back to Korea long ago.
That was how bad my first impression of Manchester was.
“Everyone go in and get some good rest. See you tomorrow morning.”
“Yes.”
“Yes—”
Anyway, according to schedule, we’ll stay here for three days training before playing against Man Utd, then move on to London.
We’ll play a match against a team called West Ham there, but anyway, since it’s a schedule where we won’t be staying here long… I’m already starting to miss Florence, but I can endure the weather for a bit.
What’s important is the match.
My first overseas opponent happens to be an enormously famous team.
Feeling quite nervous, I pulled my suitcase and followed the seniors toward the lodging.